Morphologic aspects of Tetratrichomonas didelphidis isolated from opossumsDidelphis marsupialis and Lutreolina crassicaudata

Tetratrichomonas didelphidis (Hegner & Ratcliffe, 1927) Andersen & Reilly, 1965 is a flagellate protozoan found in the intestine, cecum, and colon of Didelphis marsupialis. The parasitic protozoa used in this study was found and isolated in the intestine of opossums in Pavlova starch-containing medi um in Florianopolis, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, from D. marsupialis a nd Lutreolina crassicaudata. The strains were cultivated in Diamond medium without maltose and with starch solution, pH 7.5 at 28 degreesC. The specim ens were stained by the Giemsa method and Heidenhain's iron hematoxylin. Th e light microscopy study of the trophozoites revealed the same morphologic characteristics as specimens previously described.